This rich and creamy pumpkin custard pie is the perfect dessert for Thanksgiving! I've served it with whipped cream and of course, you can't forget the pie crust cookies! This pumpkin pie is very easy and made in just 1 bowl.
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Fall season is truly the best time of the year. It calls for Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving and alllll the pumpkin desserts. Make this easy pumpkin pie for your next gathering, or pair it up with my apple crumble pie for a Thanksgiving feast!
What's the difference between a pumpkin pie and a pumpkin custard pie? I'm calling this a pumpkin custard pie because it has a custard base. But don't worry, it's still the same classic and traditional pumpkin pie you love!
A lot of pumpkin pie fillings use evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk, but this recipe uses a combination of heavy cream, sour cream and eggs. I think this makes the pie taste much lighter and so delicious. I've tested this recipe with creme fraiche and that works well, so feel free to use the same amount of creme fraiche instead of sour cream!
I don't think there's anything better than a buttery crust, but you could also use a storebought crust if you're short on time! I'm using my tried and tested all butter pie crust.
Light and Fluffy Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin: Make sure you are using 100% canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling already has sugar and spices added to it!
Sour Cream: This makes our pumpkin pie taste extra rich and creamy.
Spices: I'm using a combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and a pinch of black pepper. Black pepper in a pumpkin pie might sound strange but it gives it that x factor!
Pie Crust: I'm using my all-butter pie crust recipe which I have tested countless times.
Step 1: If making my homemade pie crust recipe, get to step six where you have to chill it for 2 hours. Roll out the dough and place it into your dish, then tuck under the edges and crimp them. Prick the bottom of the pie dough with a fork.
Step 2: Take two large pieces of foil to make an X into the dish, and fill it with pie weights. Bake in the oven at 425 for 15-20 minutes, then remove foil and weights. Place the pie back in the oven and bake at 350 for an additional 10-15 minutes. Brush the bottom of the pie crust with an egg wash to help seal it.
Step 3: Preheat the oven to 190°Celsius/375°Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, light brown sugar and vanilla extract together until smooth.
Step 4: Add the pumpkin puree, all the spices and the salt. Whisk again until smooth.
Step 5: Add in the heavy cream and sour cream, whisking once more.
Step 6: Pour the pumpkin pie filling into the cooled pie crust. Tape on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles. Bake for 45-50 minutes. The middle should still slightly jiggle but the edges will be set. Let it cool down to room temperature, then chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.
Dollop with homemade vanilla whipped cream and pie crust cookies!
Test Kitchen Tip👩🏻🍳: Roll out any extra pie dough you have and cut out shapes using cookie cutters or pie crust cutters. Bake them at the same time as you are parbaking the crust. I recommend doing a light eggwash on them and baking for the first 15 minutes.
Parbaking Pie Crust
Parbaking, or partially baking, the pie crust means you won't have a soggy bottom. Because the pie filling doesn't need as long in the oven, if you didn't parbake the pie crust, it would be underbaked. So, we give the pie crust a quick bake in the oven to partially bake it, add in the filling, and finish baking it!
Make sure you use a lot of pie weights to help keep the edges from slumping down. If you don't have pie weights, you can use dried beans, rice, or some people even use granulated sugar!
I also lightly brush an egg wash on the bottom of the pie crust when it first bakes to help seal the bottom.
Try these Thanksgiving recipes next!
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Thank you!
Ella
Recipe
Pumpkin Custard Pie
Equipment
- 1 9" pie plate
Ingredients
Pie Dough
- 3 cups (400 grams) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 ½ sticks (280 grams) unsalted butter cold
- 1 large egg whisked for an eggwash
Pumpkin Pie Filling
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup (110 grams) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 grams) white sugar
- 15 oz (425 grams) pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- pinch ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
- ⅓ cup (80 grams) sour cream
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup (454 grams) heavy cream
Instructions
Make Dough
- Make the dough from my pie crust recipe until step 6.
- With an oven rack in the middle position, preheat your oven to 425°F/220°C.
- Take the dough out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it is about an inch wider than your pie plate. I find it easiest to gently lift the dough and place it on to the dish, but you can also roll it up on to your rolling pin and then unroll it on to your pie plate.
- Let the dough slump into the plate and press very firmly on to the bottom and the area where the side and the bottom of the pie plate meet - this is going to help it not slump when baking!
- Tuck the overhanging dough underneath, this is going to give you a thicker edge. Go back and use your hand and fingers to firmly press your dough into the pie plate. Crimp the edges as desired, crimping firmly into the pie plate is going to help it not shrink and hold its shape.
- Place your pie plate in the freezer for 10 minutes. While that is chilling, roll out any scraps you have leftover (or your second crust if you've made the full recipe). Cut out shapes using cookie cutter or pie crust cutters. Brush with an egg wash (don't get rid of this, you'll need it to brush the pie later!) so they'll get brown. Place the pie crust cutouts on a baking sheet.1 large egg
- Take the pie out and use a fork to prick the bottom a few times - this will make the bottom not puff up as much when baking.
- Line the inside of the pie dough with two pieces of foil, making an X shape, and be sure you have the foil hanging over the edges - this will make it easier to lift out after baking. You also want the overhanging foil to cover the crust so it doesn't brown too much.
- Fill the pie plate with your pie weights, dried beans or sugar. Bake on the middle shelf of your oven for 15-20 minutes. Place your baking sheet with the cookies just below it. The edges should be a light golden color. Quickly take the pie out and lift the foil and pie weights out. Remove the pie crust cookies and let them cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°Fahrenheit/175°Celsius and place the pie back in. Bake for another 10 minutes until light golden brown, remove from the oven. Brush the bottom of the pie crust with the remaining egg wash. Let cool.
Make Pie Filling
- Preheat the oven to 375°Fahrenheit/190°Celsius with a rack in the center of the oven.
- Whisk together the eggs, sugars and vanilla. Add the pumpkin puree, spices and salt. Whisk in your sour cream, and heavy cream.3 large eggs, ½ cup (110 grams) light brown sugar, ½ cup (100 grams) white sugar, 15 oz (425 grams) pumpkin puree, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves, pinch ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream, ⅓ cup (80 grams) sour cream
- Pour the filling into the crust. Tap on the counter to get rid of any air bubbles.
- Bake for 45 minutes and check it, the filling should be puffed but the edges should have set. You may need another 5 or 10 minutes! Note, depending on your oven you may need less time so keep an eye on it!
- Take the pie out and let it cool completely. Then place it in the fridge for 2 hours.
Whipped Cream
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a bowl with a hand mixer, whisk the heavy cream until you have stiff peaks. Dollop on top of the pie or on each individual slice. Garnish with pie crust cookies!1 cup (454 grams) heavy cream
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Troy Wallick says
Wow! This is exactly what I have been looking for. I was daydreaming one day, as I always do when I’m imagining what I’m cooking and custard pumpkin pie popped into my thoughts (I thought it was a new recipe that I thought of) so I googled a recipe and sure enough it already exists lol. Fabulous recipe…DELICIOUS!!
Ella says
Thank you so much, so glad you like the recipe - it's one of my favorites!
Kristen says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made this for friendsgiving earlier this month and now I'm making another one today. This will definitely be my go to pumpkin pie recipe from now on.
Ella says
Thank you so much for this review, I'm so glad you like it!
Rosalind says
Making this for Halloween party.
Wayne says
I followed the recipe and cooking instructions to the letter, and the center just stayed soup!! Ruiened Thanksgiving pumpkin pie.
Ella says
Hi Wayne, I'm so sorry to hear that! I have tested this recipe quite a lot, do you mind letting me know if you used cup or metric measurements? Did you take the pie out of the oven when the edges had set but the middle was still a little bit jiggly? I recommend getting an oven thermometer because it might be your oven temperature isn't correct and the pie needed more time (I know that my old oven was 20 degrees colder than it should have been!)
Mike says
I usually do two pumpkin and a custard pie for Thanksgiving. This one pumpkin, one custard and a pumpkin custard is the plan this year!